Tag Archives: birth tub

I find it interesting, perplexing, ridiculous, and absurd that the FDA seized a shipment of birth tubs from a Portland, OR dock, claiming that they’ve been ordered to “inspect and destroy” them. According to Barbara Harper, the founder of Waterbirth International, “They claim they are unregistered medical equipment, but they are not providing a way or means to get them registered. In other words, if the medical authorities can’t stop waterbirth, then just have the FDA take away the birth pools.” [emphasis mine]

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What’s more, the FDA believes this to be their jurisdiction because childbirth is . . . an . . . ILLNESS. Yes, that’s right . . . I’m ill; ill with child. VERY ill with child actually. So ILL with child, that I might just any day now crawl into my bathtub for relief, medical relief of course, from my nearly 10 month ILLNESS. Harper was told: “Pregnancy is an illness and birth is a medical event. Therefore, a pool that a woman gives birth in should be classified as medical equipment.” Now, I will say that the FDA isn’t the only institution that believes pregnancy and birth to be an illness, but that’s another story for another day.

So, when I say that the FDA may want to come into your home and inspect your bathtub, hot tub, pool, pond, toilet, sink, whatever . . . hopefully you can see that I’m not really that far off the mark for these are all things water containers that women may use to facilitate childbirth.

More info can be found on this blog as well as Barbara Harper’s Facebook notes. Please spread the news and watch for news of a petition that Harper may be starting on Change.org.